A King County jury has convicted Joseph Bert Dixon in connection with a 2021 shooting in Kent that left one man dead and two others wounded, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said the jury found Dixon guilty of one count of murder in the first degree with a firearm enhancement, two counts of assault in the first degree with a firearm enhancement and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree.
Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 17 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Court documents filed in King County Superior Court state that the charges stem from a shooting on or about Sept. 19, 2021, that resulted in the death of Devon Hill and injuries to two other victims.
According to the certification for probable cause filed by Kent Police detectives, officers responded shortly after 1 a.m. to reports of a shooting near Meeker Street Bar and Grill in Kent. As we previously reported, two victims had suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Investigators later located Hill’s body several blocks away in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the head. The King County Medical Examiner determined the wound was consistent with a .40 caliber firearm and caused Hill’s death almost instantly, according to the court document.
Police reports indicate that the victims had been sitting in a vehicle when a man approached, opened the rear door and began firing into the car. Detectives said the suspect then drove away in the vehicle before abandoning it nearby.
Surveillance video and witness statements helped investigators identify Dixon as a suspect. Authorities later arrested him after locating him in Snohomish County following the incident, according to the court record.
Prosecutors said Dixon was also convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions that legally prohibited him from having a gun.
